‎The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959) directed by Terence Fisher • Reviews, film + cast • Letterboxd Peter Cushing makes for a quite fine Sherlock Holmes, however this is probably far from the best adaptation of The Hound of the Baskervilles and I should definitely try to see the Basil Rathbone version one of these days. Blindspot Blog Post: Review by dadgumblah ★★★★ Hammer remake of the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle classic story is a great movie on its own merits, with Peter Cushing making an excellent Sherlock Holmes, André Morell quite fine as Doctor Watson, and Christopher Lee very good as Sir Henry Baskerville. Francis De Wolff also gives a very good performance as the helpful but very grumpy Doctor Mortimer. This is the familiar tale of Holmes and Watson investigating the supposed centuries-old curse on the Baskerville family by a legendary hound from hell. Cushing, methinks, is every bit as good as Basil Rathbone in playing Holmes, although he only did the one film. However he did sixteen television episodes as Holmes in the U.K., which I have yet to see.

Hammer does a very lush job as usual with this being the first color film of a Holmes movie. Their production values are also awesome as usual. Great stuff! The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959) – Trailers From Hell The Hound of the Baskervilles Monster Dog Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? Sorry, Wrong Number A Nightmare on Elm Street Wes Craven’s New Nightmare Lenny The Adventures of Biffle and Shooster Kind Hearts and Coronets Taste the Blood of Dracula Habit She Gods of Shark Reef Piranha The Day of the Dolphin These are the Damned The Girl Can’t Help It Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? Stunt Rock The Man from Hong Kong Turkey Shoot The Ghost and Mrs.

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Demon Spartacus Journey to the Lost City The Fiendish Ghouls The Fall of the Roman Empire The Incredible Petrified World The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959) by Glenn Erickson Jun 18, 2016 Share Hammer hits one out of the park with this ‘ripping good’ Sherlock Holmes tale, tilted heavily toward gothic mystery and horror. Peter Cushing and André Morell excel in heroic roles, while Christopher Lee doesn’t have to play a monster, just a coward. Terence Fisher’s directing skill is at its height. The Hound of the Baskervilles Blu-ray Peter Cushing, André Morell, Christopher Lee, Marla Landi, David Oxley, Francis De Wolff, Miles Malleson, Ewen Solon. Cinematography Terence Fisher Reviewed by Glenn Erickson In addition to their straight-up gothic horrors, Hammer films produced films in other genres, such as costume adventures and war pictures. A big hit for the company was The Hound of the Baskervilles, a picture so well made that it’s often ranked with the company’s best work. It’s also been called the best Sherlock Holmes movie ever.

Hammer should have pursued more Holmes adventures, but we’re told that this trial balloon feature didn’t bring back the money they had hoped for. The boys at Bray get great mileage out of Arthur Conan Doyle’s horror-inflected mystery set on the moors of rural England. With sensitive direction and a sumptuous look that defies its modest budget, this is indeed surely the best version of The Hound of the Baskervilles on film. The fastidious Peter Cushing is a dashing, keen-witted Sherlock, and Christopher Lee makes one of his few appearances as a leading man. Just as the young audience for Lord of the Rings was enticed to check out Ian McKellen’s Mr. Holmes , I’ve found that the same young folk are willing to try out Peter Cushing’s super-sleuth because of Star Wars. They like him just much as they do the current TV fellow Cumberbatch. This version of Doyle’s most famous Holmes thriller puts our hero on the trail of a diabolical curse.

Doctor Richard Mortimer (Francis De Wolff) responds to threats on the life of Sir Henry Baskerville (Christopher Lee) by hiring consulting detective Sherlock Holmes (Peter Cushing) to solve the mystery behind several male Baskervilles that have died on the moors. Holmes’ associate and best friend Doctor Watson (André Morell) journeys alone to the Dartmoor Baskerville estate to lay out the groundwork. He finds an ancient mansion with a missing portrait and bitter neighbors who begrudge the Baskervilles their good fortune. To add to the tension, an escaped convict is said to be on the loose. The ‘Curse of the Baskervilles’ involves a demon-hound from Hell, a myth that Watson is compelled to take seriously when he hears its howl across the treacherous, boggy landscape. Arthur Conan Doyle’s most famous story is structured around a family curse stemming from an ancestor’s torture and murder of an innocent woman (Judy Moyens). In other words, it’s just the kind of gothic situation that classic horror films dote on.

In a crisply paced prologue set a century or two back, Sir Hugo Baskerville (David Oxley of Ill Met By Moonlight ) raffles off a captive girl for rape by his dissolute friends. When she escapes, he sends the hounds after ‘the Bitch!’ which leads to a bloody end. Not even Gainsborough’s pulpy costume pictures were this gruesome. I believe that in the American version, the word ‘bitch’ is blooped by another noise, perhaps a dog’s bark. It’s pretty strong for 1959, England or America. Sherlock Holmes doesn’t get involved until a few generations later, when the present Baskerville heir Sir Henry (Christopher Lee, in fine form) returns from South Africa after the mysterious death of his father. A supernatural hound is supposed to be doling out retribution for the family’s earlier crimes, but Sherlock’s having none of that: the more diabolical the clues, the more convinced he is that some logically-traceable rational motivation will lead him to the culprit. Out on the moors, amidst sucking quicksand and crumbling mineshafts, the pursuit of the truth is Sherlock’s only concern.

Basil Rathbone is a pale poseur next to Peter Cushing’s cool, calculating crime solver. Slightly smug, thoroughly confident, this Holmes operates as a total intellectual independent, frequently not even letting the faithful Doctor Watson in on his plans. He’s also not above using callous snobbery to further his investigation. He insults Sir Henry’s neighbors so as to manipulate the emotional nobleman. As a character, Holmes is a man with a complete understanding of how Victorian England operates. Some of the stories seem a criticism of the era’s rigid, classed social system. He places himself as an outsider, respected yet friendless, save for Watson. Peter Cushing combines this socially aloof stance with a flair for feverish action. Always in motion, Sherlock is forever rushing across some lonely ruin. Since the locations are the same cramped sets used in Horror of Dracula , Cushing’s exertions are limited to lurching and vaulting a couple of yards at a time. But with his stage-honed sense of physical drama, the performance is thrilling to watch. And he has a tense, precise flair for great dialogue.

Stabbing an ancient dagger into a tabletop just an inch from Doctor Mortimer’s hand, he shouts, “Perhaps THIS will refresh your memory!!” André Morell’s interpretation makes Dr. Watson for once a serious foil instead of comedy relief. A bit stodgy and unimaginative, Watson is really the hero of the story — he soldiers through the incident-laden center section in good faith, trying his best to carry on in Holmes’ absence. Savant understands that Peter Bryan’s script deviates widely from the original book, and can’t help but wonder if Doyle gave the class-warfare angle the same emphasis seen here. A number of Hammer films around this time had overt political themes. Colonial issues inform The Mummy , and The Stranglers of Bombay re-interprets a real historical murder-for-profit cult as anti-colonial terrorism. (spoiler, sort of) As it turns out, the Baskerville Curse is a myth exploited by an immigrant clan to redress the past injustices of another. Sex is a key angle: As in Stranglers a vengeful vixen is at the center of the terror.

Cecile (Marla Landi) kisses a duped Sir Henry as deceptively as does the vampire bride in Horror of Dracula, reveling in the way her attractiveness crosses a class barrier to bring down her victim. After a ferocious spate of premature gloating, her plan fails to level the Karma of the Baskervilles. But the curse is perpetuated anyway — the unloved Sir Henry may never sire an heir. Too bad — if Cecile wanted to achieve her family’s revenge, all she had to do was marry Sir Henry and then give him grief. As in other Hammer films, the class injustice is noted but little sympathy is offered. Terence Fisher’s Sherlock Holmes movie ends in a properly Victorian manner: the uppity have-nots are soundly hammered back into their proper place. The Twilight Time Blu-ray of The Hound of the Baskervilles gives us a worthy special edition. Viewers will definitely be impressed by the visual presentation. Hound was filmed by Jack Asher, a painstaking lighting director who believed in taking the time necessary to do things right. Another reason for the first three years of Hammer horror to stand out were the rich saturated colors in original Technicolor prints.

A close-up of Cushing will bring out every detail in his checkered woolen coat, while wide shots of rooms practically bathe us in lush décor. The only radical color effect is the saturated greens in the alcove where Watson and Holmes await the arrival of the demon hound. Chris Lee’s confrontation with a tarantula (so carefully copied for Dr. No ) even gives the spider a handsome, multi-colored close-up. Nobody is going to forget the legacy of Christopher Lee — fans of the two biggest franchises of the last twenty years need to see more of his earlier career. Hammer fans should like the extras, starting with an Isolated Music & Effects track that showcase the James Bernard music score. The old MGM DVD was very sibilant, especially in Marla Landi’s big speech; that problem has almost been eliminated. From the MGM disc, I believe, come a featurette and an audio extra of Christopher Lee reading from Sherlock Holmes. Two new commentaries give us input on the show. Track one has an informed discussion by David Del Valle and writer Steve Peros; and track two gives us Paul Scrabo hosting publisher Lee Pfeiffer and writer Hank Reineke.

Pfeiffer offers context for the late ’50s when the show was made, while Reineke contributes a great deal of research, plus notes from Hammer expert Ted Newsom. Also new is an interview with Margaret Robinson, who made the ‘devil dog’ hound’s mask for the picture. A trailer wraps up the disc extras, while Julie Kirgo’s enthusiastic liner notes show that she’s a Hammer fan as well — or at least can work up a convincing appreciation. When Eclipse put out their special Wicked Melodramas from Gainsborough Pictures disc set in 2012, I found it to be an indispensible link to the style of Terence Fisher’s Hammer films. Fisher edited for Gainsborough’s directors Leslie Arliss and Arthur Crabtree, and his dynamic blocking and compositions carry on the Gainsborough house style. The older studio had the pulpy, lustful stories, Hammer just added intense color and vibrant gore. On a scale of Excellent, Good, Fair, and Poor, The Hound of the Baskervilles Blu-ray rates: Sound: Very Good Supplements: Isolated Music & Effects Track. Audio Commentary with Film Historians David Del Valle and Steven Peros.

Audio Commentary with Film Historians Paul Scrabo, Lee Pfeiffer, and Hank Reineke. Actor’s Notebook: Christopher Lee. Hound Mask Creator Margaret Robinson on The Hound of the Baskervilles. Christopher Lee Reads Excerpts from The Hound of the Baskervilles. Original Theatrical Trailer, Julie Kirgo liner notes Deaf and Hearing-impaired Friendly? YES; Subtitles: English Packaging: One Blu-ray in Keep case Reviewed: June 14, 2016 Visit DVD Savant’s Main Column Page Glenn Erickson answers most reader mail: dvdsavant@mindspring.com Text © Copyright 2016 Glenn Erickson About Glenn Erickson Glenn Erickson left a small town for UCLA film school, where his spooky student movie about a haunted window landed him a job on the CLOSE ENCOUNTERS effects crew. He’s a writer and a film editor experienced in features, TV commercials, Cannon movie trailers, special montages and disc docus. But he’s most proud of finding the lost ending for a famous film noir, that few people knew was missing. Glenn is grateful for Trailers From Hell’s generous offer of a guest reviewing haven for DVD Savant.

The Hound of the Baskervilles **** (1959, Peter Cushing, André Morell, Christopher Lee) – Classic Movie Review 313 | Derek Winnert This article was written on 23 Oct 2013, and is filled under Reviews . Current post is tagged André Morell , Christopher Lee , curse , detective , Dr Watson , Ewen Solon , family curse , hound , John le Mesurier , legend , Marla Landi , newly inherited estate , nobleman , Peter Cushing , Sam Kydd , Sherlock Holmes , Terence Fisher , threatened The Hound of the Baskervilles **** (1959, Peter Cushing, André Morell, Christopher Lee) – Classic Movie Review 313 Hammer Studios’ notable 1959 version of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic story is smart, beautifully performed and quite commanding. It is notable as Sherlock Holmes’s first screen appearance in colour. Peter Cushing and André Morell are on excellent form as Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson, who set about to investigate the perils in store for the latest Baskerville heir, Sir Henry (Christopher Lee).

He has recently returned from service in the British colonies to assume his title after his predecessor is murdered. The original story is a gift to any screenwriter, but Peter Bryan provides an intelligent script that offers an atmosphere of useful darkness and some subtleties and ambiguities in the characters and plotting. In a film that successfully segues from horror to thriller to comedy and back, director Terence Fisher conjures up the right eerie mood, enormously helped by the performances, the surprisingly classy production with set designs by Bernard Robinson, and the beautifully achieved, still vibrant looking Technicolor cinematography by Jack Asher. The story opens with a flashback as told by Doctor Mortimer (Francis de Wolff) to Holmes, hiring him to protect Sir Henry, in which the story of the wicked Sir Hugo Baskerville (David Oxley) is outlined in typical Hammer horror fashion. Cushing’s grave, waspish, quick-witted and fleet-footed Holmes soon disappears for a while, giving Watson more to do than usual. And, happily, he’s treated seriously and expertly by Morell, in a way quite unlike the usual buffoon he’s often portrayed.

Meanwhile Lee battles a rather passive part with his customary grave dignity and Miles Malleson provides effective comic relief as the Bishop who, improbably, breeds dangerous tarantulas. Marla Landi and Ewen Solon are suitably ripe in exotic roles as ambiguously portrayed neighbours, the Stapletons. And there’s room for John le Mesurier (Barrymore) and Sam Kydd (Perkins) too. Surprisingly, maybe, this fondly remembered movie stands up very well compared with other versions of The Hound of the Baskervilles and with Hammer’s general output. © Derek Winnert 2013 Classic Movie Review 313 Check out more reviews on Film Review: The Hound Of The Baskervilles (1959) Home | Film Reviews | Film Review: The Hound Of The Baskervilles (1959) Film Review: The Hound Of The Baskervilles (1959) Nigel Honeybone 01/10/2013 Film Reviews SYNOPSIS: “When Sir Charles Baskerville dies unexpectedly, his nephew and heir Sir Henry returns from South Africa. Dr.

Mortimer, the local doctor, is concerned about Sir Henry’s safety as he is convinced that Sir Charles was literally frightened to death. He consults Sherlock Holmes and recounts the tale of one Sir Hugo Baskerville who, several generations previously, had been killed by a huge hound and which now is believed by some to be a curse on the family. Holmes agrees to take on the case and it almost immediately becomes apparent that Sir Henry’s life is in danger. Holmes doesn’t believe in the legend of the Baskervilles or the supposed curse place upon them and sets out to find a more practical solution.” (courtesy IMDB) REVIEW: With The Curse Of Frankenstein (1957) and Horror Of Dracula (1958), Hammer Studios seemed to have found the formula to success and they began to remake other classic chillers including The Mummy (1959), The Curse Of The Werewolf (1961), The Phantom Of The Opera (1962) and others. They also dusted-off the old Arthur Conan Doyle novel The Hound Of The Baskervilles (1959) to give it the Hammer treatment as well.

Hammer’s production of The Hound Of The Baskervilles was a full-colour version which concentrated on the grislier aspects of Conan Doyle’s tale, in keeping with their previous horror successes. Peter Bryan‘s screenplay uses the framework of the original story to stick in some new and generally worthwhile innovations. The great problem facing any writer with the task of transferring this particular story to the screen is that Sherlock Holmes is absent for at least half the book, reappearing as it were to tie-up the loose ends. This might be acceptable for a book, but not for a film whose selling power depends on the name above the credits. The actor playing Holmes would have to be well featured throughout the film to justify his billing. Peter Bryan manages quite skillfully to keep a fine balance between cinematic requirements and loyalty to the novel. The film opens with a reconstruction of the legend of the Baskervilles, in which the rascally Sir Hugo (David Oxley) is pursuing a serving wench into the ruins of an abbey, and meets ‘the hound from Hell’ face-to-face.

The scene fades to reveal that Doctor Mortimer (Frances De Wolff) has been recounting the legend to Sherlock Holmes (Peter Cushing) and Doctor Watson (André Morell) in their Baker Street sitting room. For aficionados of Holmes, this room is a real treat, a near-perfect reconstruction of the room as recorded in Conan Doyle’s stories, right down to the small but important details of the Persian slipper filled with tobacco and a collection of bills transfixed to the mantelpiece with a knife. The heir of the Baskerville title, Sir Henry (Christopher Lee), is newly arrived from South Africa to take charge of the Dartmoor estate, and Holmes visits his hotel to warn him of the possible dangers that await on the moor. While arranging for Watson to accompany the baronet down to Dartmoor, a tarantula slowly emerges from a boot that Sir Henry is holding. The following tense moments are in the true Hammer horror mould. As Holmes bids Baskerville to keep still, the spider slowly climbs up his arm to his neck where it pauses. Holmes then raises his cane and just in the nick of time knocks the spider to the floor and crushes it.

This incident prompts the detective to utter this very Sherlockian warning: “The powers of evil take many forms. Remember that, Sir Henry, when you are at Baskerville Hall. Do as the legend tells and avoid the moor when the forces of darkness are exalted.” So Watson goes off with Sir Henry to Baskerville Hall. The film then follows the novel closely with Holmes making his surprise reappearance later on the moor. Surprise, that is, for Watson and for those viewers who are unfamiliar with the novel. Once back in the mainstream of the action, Holmes carries out his investigations vigorously: “There is more evil around us here, than I have ever encountered before.” His trail leads him down a disused tin mine and out of the confines of the Conan Doyle plot. When asked by Stapleton (Ewen Solon) what he expects to find down there, Holmes replies cryptically, “Bones, perhaps.” While venturing alone through a mine tunnel, one of the old mining cars is set in motion by an unseen hand and smashes into the supporting timbers, bringing the roof down and apparently trapping the detective.

After an unsuccessful attempt to dig through the rock blocking the tunnel, Watson and the others make their way back to the surface to find Holmes sitting there: “When the general applause has died down, I wonder if we could go back to the Hall. I’ve hurt my leg, I’m cold and I’m hungry.” He later tells Watson that he knew beforehand that the mine had a number of exits. It is Holmes injured leg and not the mist that delays him in dealing with the hound, which turns on Stapleton killing him before being destroyed in turn by Holmes. Cecile (Marla Landi) runs out on to the moor to be engulfed by the great Grimpen Mire. Holmes shows the shaken baronet the dead hound: “There is nothing to fear now. They used this mask to make it look more terrifying. It was starved for weeks, kept down the mine till the time was ripe then given the scent.” Safely back in Baker Street, Watson asks Holmes at what point did he suspect the truth about the case. “When Sir Henry complained of a missing boot, that put me onto the scent, as it were.” – “As early as that?

Incredible!” – “Elementary, my dear Watson, elementary.” And so ends Hammer’s Hound. As with all Hammer productions, the sets and costumes are of the highest quality, although it’s a pity that there are no London exteriors (as in the 1939 version) to give a real sense of the period. However, the moors exteriors are highly effective, fitting Arthur Conan Doyle’s descriptions exactly. Surprisingly enough, the film was not shot in Dartmoor but just outside London near Frenchman Ponds. The biggest disappointment in the film is the appearance of the hound itself. Determined to inject as much horror into the story as possible, Hammer emphasised the horrific elements of the hound so that when it finally does appear, it’s an anti-climax. However, presenting the hound had been a problem and director Terence Fisher told me the dog was, ironically, one of the kindest and loveliest dogs around, and for a lot of the close-ups they had to use a vicious-looking hand-puppet and push that into the actor’s faces. Sir Henry Baskerville is played by Christopher Lee, who must surely have been second on the casting short-list for the part of Holmes.

In fact Chris did eventually play the great detective a few times, in Sherlock Holmes And The Deadly Necklace (1962), Sherlock Holmes And The Leading Lady (1991) and Incident At Victoria Falls (1992). André Morell’s performance as Watson is considered by many to be definitive. Played with great sincerity and without any of the petulant buffoonery of Nigel Bruce and his impersonators, Morell’s Watson is extremely faithful to the character that Conan Doyle’s writings conjure. Surprisingly, The Hound Of The Baskervilles failed to grip the audience and was a disappointment at the box-office, causing Hammer to drop any plans for further Conan Doyle thrillers. Of course, the success or failure of any version of this Holmes story rests squarely on the shoulders of the actor who plays the famous detective. In this respect Hammer had a winner, for it was the great Peter Cushing who was accurately promoted as “The new and exciting Sherlock Holmes!” And it’s with that thought in mind I’ll ask you to please join me next week when I have the opportunity to give you another swift kick in the good-taste unit with more terror-filled excursions to the dark side of Hollywood for…Horror News!

Toodles! The Hound Of The Baskervilles (1959) The Hound of The Baskervilles 1959 – UK Horror Scene The Hound of The Baskervilles (1959) Directed by Terence Fisher Starring Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, André Morell Runtime – 87 minutes Out NOW on Blu-Ray from Arrow Video The Hound of The Baskervilles was written by Arthur Conan Doyle in 1902 and was the third story to feature the London detective, Sherlock Holmes. This film version is the first colour outing for Holmes, it is also the first time he was portrayed by the superb gent Peter Cushing, he later went on to star in a Sherlock Holmes TV series in 1968 where once again he dealt with the Hound, he also went on to star as Conan Doyle in the TV Movie, The Great Houdini 1976. This is a classic tale of a mysterious curse on the aristocratic Baskerville family but given a make over by the Hammer Horror team.

Yes, things have changed from the novel, but that happens in nearly every adaptation and the changes here only add to the effectiveness that allows this telling of a classic to stand above the rest. The film begins with doctor Richard Mortimer (Francis De Wolff) telling Holmes the history of the depraved aristocrat Sir Hugo Baskerville (David Oxley) and the devil dog that sealed his fate. Holmes adopts a ‘Just the Facts’ attitude that reminded me of Dan Aykroyd in Dragnet and added an element of authority I have not seen in other incarnations of Holmes. With the arrival of Sir Henry (Christopher Lee) returning to the family estate, events escalate and Holmes tries to protect Hugo believing his life to be in danger, not from a possible hound of hell but something more sinister. Cushing’s portrayal as the Baker Street enforcer is in my opinion the most definitive, he is less tolerant of others than Basil Rathbone was previously and quite aggressive in his pursuit of justice. It is evident that Cushing had a great fondness for Holmes and brought his passion to the character.

This film also hit the nail with the casting of Dr Watson (André Morell) who gives a performance that is less bumbling buffoon and more a competent companion to Holmes, both Cushing and Morell are flawless and the chemistry between them works exceedingly well. It was such a pleasure to watch Christopher Lee show off his extreme talent as an actor, he excels as the leading man here and not in the usual mantle of monster. It was odd to see him as a romantic interest in this film but again it goes to show that he come from a generation where acting truly was art. The film unfolds with enough suspense and mystery and is very fast paced, never allowing a dull moment, sit back and watch art. The titular monster of this piece, although notin the same category as Hammer’s usual suspects also had a makeover, distancing itself from the book and giving it a unique edge and making it not look out of place in the Hammer catalogue. This version of The Hound of The Baskervilles is often described as being as being the most critically acclaimed of Hammer’s collection, is this a fair statement? I’d like to say yes!

When I think of Hammer Horror, I think of Dracula (1958), The Devil Rides Out (1968), Twins of Evil (1971) and this,The Hound of the Baskervilles, but most importantly it’s the cast, what made Hammer Horror great was the calibre of performers, no one will ever come close to Cushing and Lee. I can hardy believe this film is over 50 years old! Hammer Horror were revolutionary in their time and became as much an icon as its stars. 9 out of 10 The Hound of The Baskervilles – UK Horror Scene The Hound of The Baskervilles (1959) Directed by Terence Fisher Starring Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, André Morell Runtime – 87 minutes Out NOW on Blu-Ray from Arrow Video The Hound of The Baskervilles was written by Arthur Conan Doyle in 1902 and was the third story to feature the London detective, Sherlock Holmes.

This film version is the first colour outing for Holmes, it is also the first time he was portrayed by the superb gent Peter Cushing, he later went on to star in a Sherlock Holmes TV series in 1968 where once again he dealt with the Hound, he also went on to star as Conan Doyle in the TV Movie, The Great Houdini 1976. This is a classic tale of a mysterious curse on the aristocratic Baskerville family but given a make over by the Hammer Horror team. Yes, things have changed from the novel, but that happens in nearly every adaptation and the changes here only add to the effectiveness that allows this telling of a classic to stand above the rest. The film begins with doctor Richard Mortimer (Francis De Wolff) telling Holmes the history of the depraved aristocrat Sir Hugo Baskerville (David Oxley) and the devil dog that sealed his fate. Holmes adopts a ‘Just the Facts’ attitude that reminded me of Dan Aykroyd in Dragnet and added an element of authority I have not seen in other incarnations of Holmes.

With the arrival of Sir Henry (Christopher Lee) returning to the family estate, events escalate and Holmes tries to protect Hugo believing his life to be in danger, not from a possible hound of hell but something more sinister. Cushing’s portrayal as the Baker Street enforcer is in my opinion the most definitive, he is less tolerant of others than Basil Rathbone was previously and quite aggressive in his pursuit of justice. It is evident that Cushing had a great fondness for Holmes and brought his passion to the character. This film also hit the nail with the casting of Dr Watson (André Morell) who gives a performance that is less bumbling buffoon and more a competent companion to Holmes, both Cushing and Morell are flawless and the chemistry between them works exceedingly well. It was such a pleasure to watch Christopher Lee show off his extreme talent as an actor, he excels as the leading man here and not in the usual mantle of monster. It was odd to see him as a romantic interest in this film but again it goes to show that he come from a generation where acting truly was art. The film unfolds with enough suspense and mystery and is very fast paced, never allowing a dull moment, sit back and watch art.

The titular monster of this piece, although notin the same category as Hammer’s usual suspects also had a makeover, distancing itself from the book and giving it a unique edge and making it not look out of place in the Hammer catalogue. This version of The Hound of The Baskervilles is often described as being as being the most critically acclaimed of Hammer’s collection, is this a fair statement? I’d like to say yes! When I think of Hammer Horror, I think of Dracula (1958), The Devil Rides Out (1968), Twins of Evil (1971) and this,The Hound of the Baskervilles, but most importantly it’s the cast, what made Hammer Horror great was the calibre of performers, no one will ever come close to Cushing and Lee. I can hardy believe this film is over 50 years old! Hammer Horror were revolutionary in their time and became as much an icon as its stars. 9 out of 10

Question: Who played Doctor Watson in the 1959 Hammer Horror classic The Hound of The Baskervilles?
Answer: Andre Morell